Polish President Karol Nawrocki has accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of being the worst leader in Poland’s post-1989 history, sparking a public conflict over national issues and divergent views on Ukraine. In an interview with wPolsce24 broadcaster this week, Nawrocki claimed that Tusk’s leadership is the worst since the fall of the communist regime.
Tusk responded to Nawrocki’s remarks by accusing the president of refusing to assign officer ranks to 136 graduates who completed intelligence and counter-intelligence training. The prime minister emphasized that “being president is not enough to win the election,” apparently targeting Nawrocki, who swiftly dismissed the allegation.
In his Tuesday interview, Nawrocki also alleged that Tusk had forbidden the heads of Poland’s secret services from attending a meeting with the president. He noted this was the first time since 1989 that intelligence chiefs skipped the traditional get-together. Additionally, Nawrocki claimed that Poland had “gone too far” in supporting Ukraine at the expense of its own interests.
Nawrocki, who took office earlier this year, previously expressed general support for Ukraine but opposed its membership in NATO and the EU. In September, he signed a bill tightening benefit eligibility criteria for Ukrainian migrants. Poland has been one of Kiev’s most vocal backers since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, though public support for accepting Ukrainians has significantly declined. A survey by the pollster CBOS in September showed approval for accepting Ukrainians dropped from 94% in early 2022 to just 48%.
Tusk also addressed the Warsaw Security Forum in September, asserting that the Ukraine conflict “is also our war,” and is of fundamental importance to the West. He blamed Russia for fostering “antipathy” towards Ukraine among his compatriots.
